The Eastside Lady Bulldogs claimed a 47-27 win in the first meeting of the 7-8 grade regular season versus the Boyd Lady Broncos. It was all Lady Bulldog offense and Boyd did not have the answers to stop Eastside.
Despite Erica Cantrell and her game-high 18 points, the Lady Broncos fell to the Lady Bulldogs. MaKenna Mason and Kapri Talley led Eastside with 12 points each in the win. Mason lit it up from outside, while Talley provided work inside the defense.
It was all Eastside from the start and Mason got the Lady Bulldogs off on the right foot. She knocked down a shot just outside the paint and then followed up with a deep shot outside the 3-point line. Talley picked up her first shot inside and added a pair of free throws for good measure. Grayson Hillis added her only two points in the first.
Erica Cantrell picked up the only four points in the first quarter for the Lady Broncos and after one Boyd trailed 12-4.
The Lady Bulldogs heated up in the second and Rylie Crawford scored all six of her points in the second. Lexie Loader picked up the slack while the Boyd defense focused more attention on Talley and Mason. Loader added four points just before the half.
With so much time on defense, the Lady Broncos did not have much time for offense. Alaina Stiles took over for Cantrell and she slipped past the defense and got open for two points. Stiles also shot 3-of-4 from the free-throw line and at the half Boyd trailed 28-9.
In the third quarter, Boyd matched Eastside shot for shot and the two teams traded points. Alanis Cripps and Kerrigan Cripps got in on the offense and they helped Eastside maintain its lead.
Cantrell broke free again after the half and she continued her attack on the Lady Bulldog defense. She scored 8 of her 18 in the third quarter. Abby Blanton slipped inside for her only two points of the game and after three quarters Eastside led 40-21.
In the fourth quarter, the tempo started to slow and the teams emptied their benches. Katie Bost got the best of the Lady Bronco defense and she dropped in her only five points of the game as time ticked off the clock.
Cantrell tried her best to carry her team through and she finished the fourth with six more points. In the season opener Eastside defeated Boyd by a final score of 47-27.
LADY BULLDOG SCORING – MaKenna Mason 12, Kapri Talley 12, Rylie Crawford 6, Katie Bost 5, Lexi Loader 4, Alanis Cripps 4, Grayson Hillis 2, Kerrigan Cripps 2
LADY BRONCO SCORING – Erica Cantrell 18, Alaina Stiles 7, Abby Blanton 2